Piper PA-25-235 accident near Ulen, Minnesota, August 6, 1990
On August 6, 1990, a Piper PA-25-235, registered N82521, was substantially damaged in an accident near Ulen, Minnesota. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT TO AVOID THE INADVERTENT ENTRY INTO A STALL/SPIN AT LOW ALTITUDE WHICH RESULTED IN IMPACT WITH THE TERRAIN.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 6, 1990
- Place
- Ulen, Minnesota · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-25-235 · all PA-25-235s on the register
- Registration
- N82521 · no longer on the register · serial 25-7756053
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT STATED THAT THE PURPOSE OF THE FLIGHT WAS TO OBSERVE CROP DEVELOPMENT. THE FLIGHT WAS CONDUCTED AT A LOW ALTITUDE. ALTHOUGH THE PILOT DOES NOT RECALL THE EXACT REASON FOR LOSS OF CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT, THE LAST THING HE REMEMBERS WAS MAKING A LEFT TURN. A WITNESS SAW THE AIRCRAFT DESCENDING WING AND NOSE DOWN INTO THE TERRAIN. THE AIRCRAFT WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED AND THE PILOT SUSTAINED SERIOUS INJURIES. SUBSEQUENT INVESTIGATION REVEALED NOTHING OF A MECHANICAL NATURE THAT WOULD HAVE HAD A NEGATIVE IMPACT ON THE FLIGHT.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 377 hours in all; 28 in this make and model; 35 in the last 90 days; 13 in the last 30 days; 317 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (expired)
- Seat: ctr
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,160 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, May 11, 1990
- Maximum gross weight: 2,900 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-540-GIA5 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Ulen MN at 1:00 am
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Sky: scat
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.